06 Feb 2020
DHS Punishes NY Over Green Light Law - "Just Irrational"
Caroline Kelly, CNN, Feb. 6, 2020
"The acting secretary of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that New York state residents can no longer participate in certain Trusted Traveler Programs, including Global Entry, due to provisions in the state's new "Green Light Law" supporting undocumented immigrants.
... The letter does not mention the Transportation Security Administration's Precheck program, in a seemingly targeted effort to punish New York for the law while limiting problems at airports for TSA.
Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, told CNN the state would review the directive from the Department of Homeland Security.
"This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government and we're going to review our legal options," Azzopardi said.
... Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg told CNN that sanctuary policies do not affect how the Department of Homeland Security vets people for Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs.
"This is just irrational in the sense that sanctuary policies in no way shape or form affect DHS' ability to vet people for global entry and other trusted traveler programs," he said.
"It's ridiculous, and it's politicizing a program that's not about politics. It's trying to match two totally unrelated things. It's just ridiculous," he said, adding, "It's the kind of thing that's going to, frankly, politicize the department in a way that's going to undermine its mission moving forward." "